2005 Annual Report
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Middle East Institute 2005 Annual Report The Middle East Institute (MEI) was founded in 1946 by Christian Herter, who would soon be named US Secretary of State, and George Camp Keiser, a Middle East scholar. The Institute was initially an adjunct of Johns Hop- kins University-School for Advanced International Studies but was then spun off as an independent non-profit organization. There were no organi- zations in the Washington area at that time that focused on the contempo- rary Middle East. MEI was designed to fill the void. The Institute’s charter promised: “…to increase knowledge of the Middle East among citizens of the United States and to promote a better understanding between the peoples of these two areas.” This remains the Institute’s objective. Traditionally, MEI has not taken positions on issues and does not identify with a particular political party or with a specific side on the many disputes that have wracked the region. The Institute continues that policy today. In- stead, MEI offers a forum for debate, opinion, and analysis through a va- riety of educational and informational programs, including briefings and seminars, media outreach, a scholars program, a quarterly peer-reviewed scholarly journal, a language program, a library, and various conferences. The Institute is supported by individual and corporate members, by in- dividual donors, and by foundations. MEI is a membership organization, but many of its programs are open to the public. Both policy papers and informational resources are available on its website. 1 Letter from the President One year shy of our 60th anniversary, it is a time to reflect on the past and think of the future. Unfortunately, the Middle East is still a scene of conflict and that means we need to work harder in pursuing our mission to promote knowledge of the Middle East in America and strengthen un- derstanding of the United States by the people and governments of the region. We have done a lot during the past year to further that goal, including more than 50 lectures on topics ranging from “Democratization in the Middle East” to “Educational Reform in Egypt and the Arab World.” Attendance to our events continues to increase. More than 1,500 MEI members, gov- ernment officials, congressional staffers, businessmen, and members of the media visited MEI to participate in our noontime briefings. Many more were able to read summaries or transcripts of the events on our website. The popularity of our programming has also attracted partners for larger events, including the Foundation for Middle East Peace and the Asia Foun- dation. A special conference focusing on the Arab-Israeli peace process featured the top four negotiators under the Clinton Administration in a rare and insightful debate that was also webcast live to audiences in Texas and Ohio. The archived webcast is available through our website for media and schol- arly reference. MEI’s 59th Annual Conference was a double-barreled success, garnering considerable media coverage for keynote speaker Prince Turki al-Faisal in his debut as the newly-appointed Saudi Ambassador to the United States. Former presidential advisor Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski addressed the Annual Conference Welcome Banquet. He provided a thought-provoking analysis of US policies toward the Middle East and advice on how to open chan- nels of communication rather than close them. Several panel discussions proved particularly prescient, especially the debate on Iraq’s political future and the discussion about competition for new energy sources. The con- ference attracted more than 400 people, including MEI members, staffers from Congress, embassy and US government officials, business executives, university students and professors, and the media. Speaking of the media, MEI scholars and staff continue to provide reliable and balanced information and analysis to US and international media out- lets. As events in the Middle East warrant more thoughtful commentary, MEI continues to receive a large number of media queries and citations — well over 3,200 in 2005. We are reaching out to the American heart- land through media interviews, op-eds, meetings with editorial boards, and speaking engagements for our scholars and staff at universities, World Af- fairs Councils, and other gatherings. We also participated in media confer- ences in the Middle East, which allowed us to expand our reach into the 2 region with very positive results. In a major step forward, MEI can now boast a fully accredited language and area studies program. Under Dr. Shukri Abed’s leadership, the Depart- ment of Languages and Regional Studies passed the rigorous requirements for accreditation by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training. The added value for our language program comes at a time when there is a great need for Arabic and Persian speakers. Enrollment in all our language classes has steadily increased to 1,012 students, a 13% increase over 2004. In another MEI effort to improve communication between the peoples of the US and the Middle East, we officially launched the Sultan Qaboos Cul- tural Center (SQCC), thanks to the generous support and cooperation of the Sultanate of Oman. The SQCC will explore and promote the culture and heritage of Oman, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and Iran. MEI has vital tasks to help educate, dispel stereotypes, and provide a fo- rum for dialogue. We have many talented people working on our behalf to fulfill our mandate. We appreciate the continued loyalty and support of our members and donors who share our belief that we can and do make a difference. Edward S. Walker, Jr. President 3 MEI Programs The Middle East Institute’s Programs offer an Middle East Institute in-depth, timely look at current events and the underlying issues spanning the region from Fractured Realities: A Middle East in Crisis Afghanistan to Morocco to Yemen. The sub- 59th Annual Conference stantive coverage offered by MEI’s 2005 confer- ences, panels, policy programs, book launches, The 59th Annual Conference was held on No- roundtable discussions and corporate briefings vember 7-9, 2005 at the National Press Club. As demonstrated its importance as a forum for conflicts and insurgencies continued to hinder discussion and dissemination of information efforts to foster positive changes in the Middle in Washington, beyond the Beltway, and to the East, MEI panelists offered detailed analysis on Middle East. pressing issues such as energy, intelligence gath- ering in the region, reconstruction efforts in Major Symposiums Iraq and Afghanistan, and prospects for Pales- tinian-Israeli peace after the Israeli withdrawal Lessons of Arab-Israeli Peacemaking: from Gaza. Four Negotiators Look Back and Ahead Welcoming Banquet Zbigniew Brzezinski, Former National Security As the Bush Administration re-engaged in Advisor Arab-Israeli peacemaking, the Middle East Institute hosted four of the top negotiators re- Keynote Address sponsible for US policy toward the peace pro- HRH Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Ambassador of cess under the Clinton Administration on April the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the US 25, 2005. Reflecting on their experiences and on what went right and what went wrong, these Collecting and Understanding US Intelligence seasoned negotiators brought invaluable les- on the Middle East sons to the revived efforts to broker peace in Frank Anderson, Retired CIA Operative the Middle East. Rand Beers, former Counterterrorism Advisor John Moore, retired Defense Intelligence Martin Indyk, Saban Center at the Brookings Agency Analyst Institution, former US Ambassador to Israel Moderator: Wayne White, Retired State and Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Deptartment Intelligence Analyst and MEI Affairs Adjunct Scholar Robert Malley, International Crisis Group, The Escalating Conflict Between Syria, Iran, former NSC Advisor for Arab-Israeli Affairs to and the US President Clinton Seymour Hersh of The New Yorker Hisham Melhem, host of “Across the Ocean,” Aaron David Miller, Seeds of Peace, former Al-Arabiya TV Deputy Special Middle East Coordinator Theodore Kattouf, President of AMIDEAST Moderator: Michael Collins Dunn, Editor of Dennis Ross, Washington Institute for Near The Middle East Journal. East Policy, former US Ambassador and Spe- cial Middle East Coordinator Understanding the Global Insurgency Alberto Fernandez, Director of Public Moderator: Edward S. Walker, President of the Diplomacy in the US State Department 4 Michael Scheuer, author of Imperial Hubris Ehud Eiran, Harvard Research Fellow Robert Pape, author of Dying to Win Moderator: James Bennet, The New York Times Zaki Chehab, Political Editor of Al-Hayat Magazine and LBC TV Moderator: Syed Farooq Hasnat, MEI Negotiations vs. Unilateralism Adjunct Scholar Daniel Kurtzer, Former US Ambassador to Israel Reconstructing Afghanistan and Iraq Gideon Grinstein, Founder and President of Larry Goodson, Director of Middle East Re’ut Institute Studies at the Army War College Robert Malley, Director of the Middle East Ali Jalali, Former Afghan Interior Minister Program at the International Crisis Group Samir Sumaidaie, Iraqi Representative to Moderator: Steve Solarz, APCO Worldwide the UN and Former US Congressman Phebe Marr, Senior Fellow at the US Institute of Peace Corporate Briefings Moderator: David Mack, Vice President of the Middle East Institute Crisis in Sudan John Limbert, Former Charge d’Affaires of the Where Will the Energy Come From? American Embassy in Khartoum David Goldwyn, CEO of Goldwyn International Strategies